Songs of Sorrow and Songs of Joy
by evalentine
Summary: The True Final Chapter of The Man in Grey.


Note: For those of you who are interested this is the true final chapter of The Man in Grey. When my beta reader read it she suggested it was too soon to publish as the main story had only just ended with an ongoing happy ending. So I wrote an alternate ending.

Songs of sorrow and songs of joy.

* * *

Jack stood at the back of the crowd, observing their enjoyment of the beauty that surrounded them. The garden was always the best this time of the year. Once this was his domain, now it was nurtured and loved by a host of gardeners dedicated to keeping it to the same level of perfection as the day he had handed over the key to the Trust set up to perverse it.

He had to admit they had done an incredible job. There had been a few changes but everything was in the same spirit as the purpose of the garden so he had no objections. He took in a deep breath because air was filled with the delicate scent of the roses. Their colours melded together in a simple expression of love as they were intended to represent. This place was now a true reflection of its name 'Rose Cottage and not the vacant abandoned wasteland he had first found here.

'Now we come to the most mysterious part of the whole garden,' The tour guide said and she patted a tall stone wall. 'Behind this was lies the secret garden. It was built by the owner centuries ago. It was said that it was created as a birthday gift, a private hide away for his lover so that they could hide away.'

He heard an awwwww go up from the crowd.

'It is said that when his lover died. His partner who had created it was so devastated by grief he sealed the garden for ever. He did so that no-one would ever intrude on the memories there.'

'So no-one been inside all this time,' A small voice spoke up.

'It's been sealed for five hundred and twenty one years' she told the voice.

'Wow I wonder what's inside?' A woman standing near the front said, 'It must have been amazing when you think of how beautiful the grounds of the main garden are.'

'It's rumoured to be laid out like an semi-formal English garden, with herbaceous borders a pond, a summer tea house, a lawn for picnics, beds of the gardens most scented roses, butterflies, and a dove cote,' as if her words had been a charm a dove flew over the wall and walked along the top cooing.

'I'll never get tired of hearing the story of the two lovers and how wonderful the secret garden is,' Jack heard the woman to one side and he smiled.

'Now moving on..' Jack waited until the tour guide have moved the group to the next section when he pulled out small a black device and fired it at the wall. A section shimmered and an arched entrance appeared and he slipped inside.

The arch closed behind him and he smiled. The staff had preserved it almost exactly as he had left it. It looked a little worn in places and he could see part of the tea house had been repaired which was to be expected. He closed his mind eyes filled with the vision of them chasing each other, laying and talking on a spread out rug, making love or just laying asleep in the hammock in each other's arms like that timeless moment in the garden of Jacks mind. His ears filled with Ianto's laugher of delight when he had presented this to him. Ianto had danced around clapping his hands and then stripped himself bare.

Jack walked around the borders brushing his fingertips reverently over each perfect rose bloom. They were brilliant and more special than any one come imagine. Under each one were the remains of Ianto's beloved ferrets. Those ones closest to his heart. They were all here except Billy whose ashes were with Ianto. Finally he moved across to that part of the lawn which was raised. He took the long red rose he carried and placed it on the large stone engraved with the words 'My beloved Ianto'

'Hello my darling,' Jack said sinking beside the mound.

' _Jack,' Ianto lifted his hand to Jacks face as they had lain here one lazy late summer afternoon. 'I feel different.'_

' _Different how?'_

' _I can't explain it I just do deep inside. I'm leaving?'_

 _Jack took his hand and kissed it. 'No Ianto I won't accept that.'_

' _We knew this time would come. I've gone on far longer than I could have dreamed or imagined.' He stroked Jacks faces 'I think it will be soon so it's important we talk about things.'_

' _He knew Jack has to face this he had now lived nearly twelve hundred years and could sense himself drifting away and he had done some hard thinking as he felt the difference in him. It was time to face the truth.'_

' _I want you to promise me something.'_

'Anything my darling.'

' _Please bury me here in this place and keep it ours,' Jack began to cry softly and Ianto cradled him in his arms._

' _I know it will hard living on Jack. But we have had a wonderful life here. Adventures with the Doctor, where we did a loads of running, holidays in faraway places, loads of happy special , wonderful times. We've seen magical wondrous changes, met, and known so many amazing people. We've changed lives and we've shared losing the people we loved' He stroked the top of Jack's head.._

' _I know how sad you will be when I'm gone because you and I have something special inside that connects us. But I want you to promise me that no matter what, you will find a life, out there beyond the Island.' He lifted Jacks face and kissed his tears away._

' _Promise me that when you do you will come back here to this special place where we had our best times. Come back to and visit me in this garden.'_

 _Ianto stretched out and picked off one of the rose blooms nearest to them. 'I give this to you for the future. Come back and take rose a from this place. Come back every time and take a rose. '_

' _For what?' Jack looked at Ianto confused as Ianto smiled gently who kissed him on the lips._

' _You will know what to do when the times comes.' Ianto drew him closer and they swayed together._

' _I Promise Ianto. I promise'_

In a matter of weeks Ianto had faded and died in his arms on this very spot. His grief had been long and hard. He couldn't recall how many days' weeks or month he spent in here sitting on this spot recalling and sorting through over a thousand years of memories. As terrible as he felt it was also cathartic, it had allowed him to see that Ianto was right. He should be celebrating their lives as the incredible gift it was. It didn't make his sense of loss any easier but it allowed him clarity of purpose. Jack spent one last glorious summer here and when the garden reached its height he had called the Doctor. He asked him to take him the furthest possible place away from here.

'I miss you,' his eyes blinded with tears.

'Today is our two thousandth wedding anniversary.' He patted the mound once he had found the breath to speak

'I can't tell you how blessed you made me feel that day. As you walked towards me all I could see was you. You filled my senses and my soul. There are no words to express that feeling. I know because I've tried. This garden is a far better symbol of my love for you. I wanted to let you know that every moment of the life we shared feels as real to me now as it was then.' Jack took a breath and listened to the hush of the wind and cooing of the doves.

'After I left here I travelled with the Doctor for a while. I've been amongst the stars re-finding my feet. It's been hard. It took me a long time to settle but I kept my promise, I've started a new life. It feels good. I'm doing well and I finally found happiness again. Part of that happiness is knowing you rest here in this beautiful place.'

Jack pulled himself up to standing. Happy anniversary,' he kissed the palm of his hand then placed it on the stone.

He took several long moments to immerse himself in the peace and tranquillity imprinting it into his memory until he needed to keep his promise again. He pulled a tiny device from his pocket and expertly snipped off a rose bloom and clipped on a small end that he knew would help to preserve it. Using the key he now exited the garden ensuring the wall was once more a seamless whole.

He took in deep breath and let it out and he centred himself. Before he could take another step a body collided with his knees. He looked down and saw two green eyes looking up at him.

'Daddy,' Jack picked up the small boy.

'Ianto, where's daddy?

'He's coming, he's been waiting by the fountain,' He touched Jack's cheek 'you've been crying?'

'Yes I have.' he replied simply as Ianto threw his hands around his. 'This will make you feel better' Ianto told him kissing his cheek

Jack gave him a hug back cradling this new blessing in his life. After a few moments Ianto wiggled then slid to the ground. Jack turned to saw a tall man heading his way.

'Daddy, Daddy's been crying,' Ianto called out and ran towards the man who scooped the small boy up in his arms.

'Yes Daddy came to do something very important that was wonderful and sad,' the man kissed Jack sweetly on the lips.

Seeing Ivan, Jacks fragile equilibrium disintegrated and he collapsed into man's arms and broke down, 'I love, loved him so much.'

Ivan stood holding Jack rubbing his back. Visiting here today was something he knew Jack needed to do. To honour the man he had spent so many years with.

He felt Jack let out a breath. Jack lifted his head up and they touched foreheads. 'Thank you my darling' he said, 'Your generosity as always blows me away,'

'He was a huge part of your life Jack. I accepted that as part of our journey together.' He wiped the tears from Jacks face with his hand. 'You are who you are because of him. I love the man you are. So how could I not be generous, when I have you,'

Jack lifted his hand which held the rose. 'Someone once told me that if the heart of love had a shape it would be a rose,' Jack pushed the stalk of the bloom into Ivan's tee shirt pocket then pulled him into a kiss.

Ivan found he could find no words, as his heart swelled with love and passion for the man in his arms and for the significants of the gift he had been bestowed. When he drew back and saw the love in Jacks eyes he knew he didn't need any.

'Come with me and let me show you my garden,' Jack said. They were about to step forward when Ianto called out and started walking quickly towards them his hands cupped together.

'Look daddy look,' he said in wonder, ' a butterfly in landed right in my hand.


End file.
